Beloit College: The FAIL Continues...
Aug. 20th, 2008 03:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mijanThey wrote back! Would you believe it! And not only did they write back, they showed that they're even less insightful than we thought! It was suggested that perhaps these people were thinking of the movies, and Dan Radcliffe, who is indeed the age of the current crop of college freshmen. Or, perhaps they were thinking that the saga with the books began when these pip-squeaks were born, and therefore they technically grew up with the books. To give the benefit of the doubt, I considered these options, and if either one had been presented as the explanation, then I could have accepted it.
But... oh no. These people are indeed literate, which only makes their error more embarrassing for them. They got their answer out of a book - specifically, JKR's official biography. The entire contents of the reply I got were a quote from JKR's biography, and the e-mail signature of Beloit's Director of Public Affairs:
So, they can read and quote, but apparently they can't think and interpret. Or add.
Naturally, I had to reply:
So... let's see where it goes from there. I love it when people try to put me in my place when, clearly, they were wrong all along.
DON'T MESS WITH FANDOM, PUNY MUGGLES! WE ARE TEH GEEKS! WE WILL PWN YOU!
But... oh no. These people are indeed literate, which only makes their error more embarrassing for them. They got their answer out of a book - specifically, JKR's official biography. The entire contents of the reply I got were a quote from JKR's biography, and the e-mail signature of Beloit's Director of Public Affairs:
“…But in 1990, my then boyfriend and I decided to move up to
Ron Nief
Director, Public Affairs
Office (608) 363-2137
Cell (608) 770-2625
So, they can read and quote, but apparently they can't think and interpret. Or add.
Naturally, I had to reply:
Dear Ron,
That was when the book was conceived, but if you look at the precise dates in the books, Harry's birth date is absolutely set at July 31st, 1980.
The first timeline anchor was Nearly-Headless Nick's deathday cake in Chamber of Secrets. The cake is for Sir Nick's 500th deathday, and says that died Oct 31 1492. That was the second book, in which Harry was 12 years old. If Harry was 12 in 1992, then he was born in 1980.
Also, in the seventh book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", the date of the deaths of Lily and James Potter is read directly from their tombstone: at October 31st, 1981. Harry was known to be just over a year old when his parents were killed.
When J.K. Rowling conceived of Harry's character in 1990, he was a 10-year old boy in her mind, about to turn 11.
Finally, this timeline (http://www.hp-lexicon.org/timeline.html) has been accepted by Warner Brothers AND admittedly referenced by J.K. Rowling as the most definitive and accurate available timeline of events in the Harry Potter series. (A detail of this timeline is specific to Harry's life, and is found here: http://www.hp-lexicon.org/timelines/timeline_harry.html)
Therefore, the hard-fast dates in the books are both in agreement: the character Harry Potter was born in 1980, and would be 28 years old today.
Really, a tiny bit of research goes a long way.
Regards,
Michelle
Biologist, academic, and die-hard Harry Potter fan.
That was when the book was conceived, but if you look at the precise dates in the books, Harry's birth date is absolutely set at July 31st, 1980.
The first timeline anchor was Nearly-Headless Nick's deathday cake in Chamber of Secrets. The cake is for Sir Nick's 500th deathday, and says that died Oct 31 1492. That was the second book, in which Harry was 12 years old. If Harry was 12 in 1992, then he was born in 1980.
Also, in the seventh book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", the date of the deaths of Lily and James Potter is read directly from their tombstone: at October 31st, 1981. Harry was known to be just over a year old when his parents were killed.
When J.K. Rowling conceived of Harry's character in 1990, he was a 10-year old boy in her mind, about to turn 11.
Finally, this timeline (http://www.hp-lexicon.org/timeline.html) has been accepted by Warner Brothers AND admittedly referenced by J.K. Rowling as the most definitive and accurate available timeline of events in the Harry Potter series. (A detail of this timeline is specific to Harry's life, and is found here: http://www.hp-lexicon.org/timelines/timeline_harry.html)
Therefore, the hard-fast dates in the books are both in agreement: the character Harry Potter was born in 1980, and would be 28 years old today.
Really, a tiny bit of research goes a long way.
Regards,
Michelle
Biologist, academic, and die-hard Harry Potter fan.
So... let's see where it goes from there. I love it when people try to put me in my place when, clearly, they were wrong all along.
DON'T MESS WITH FANDOM, PUNY MUGGLES! WE ARE TEH GEEKS! WE WILL PWN YOU!
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no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 08:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 09:05 pm (UTC)I think that if they were referring to the fact that today's youth grew up reading Harry Potter books, they really ought to have said so, instead of implying that they could be in class together, which are imho completely different things.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 09:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 09:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 09:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 09:29 pm (UTC)I'm just very precise, that's all. :D
no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 09:38 pm (UTC)They fail in so many ways... please show us them :D
(And I must never try to use the cat macro type of speech ever again)
no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 10:13 pm (UTC)FYI, I belief this gentleman is what one would refer to as a "cheesehead."
no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 10:35 pm (UTC)You're so awesome, you know that?
no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 10:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 10:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 10:45 pm (UTC)Yes! A little research goes a long way, especially when the popularity and fandom is as huge as Harry Potter's and the information is so easily available on the web. And this was from a college? *shakes head* Great letter by the way :)
no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 10:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 10:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 10:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 10:58 pm (UTC)Yeah, I almost would have felt better if they were implying the movies in their statement. Alas, no, we have multiple levels of Teh St00pid.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 10:58 pm (UTC)... I can't think of anything else to say. I'm simply basking in your pwningness.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 10:59 pm (UTC)Consider yourself PWNED
The Fandom
no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 12:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 12:35 am (UTC)They're even more clueless than I thought. Your reply kicks ass. :D
no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 12:49 am (UTC)There has never been a more true statement in all of history.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 01:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 02:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 02:30 am (UTC)FACE YOUR FANDOM FATE, PUNY MUGGLE! MUAHAHA!!!
no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 02:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 02:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 09:19 am (UTC)Honestly, how stupid can some people be? They should know by now that arguing with the fandom gets them absolutely no where.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 12:07 pm (UTC)Better to surrender early and get it over with.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 12:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 12:11 pm (UTC)I wonder if he's capable of higher thought.
We'll see!
Er... I also have his phone number.
*is evil*
no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 03:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 04:05 pm (UTC)And the guy still hasn't written back today. Waiting... waiting...
no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 04:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 04:08 pm (UTC)The whole fandom should write letters to Beloit College.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 04:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-22 05:49 am (UTC)It would be ideal if, in addition to privately admitting their mistake, they were to delete teh flawed reference...I live in hope.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-22 07:32 pm (UTC)